The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962)

VHS CASE/SIDE

MPAA Certificate Number : 20644

Length of film:  135 Minutes (Restored Print: 140 Minutes)

Rated: U (G)

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Biography

Director: Henry Levin, George Pal

Starring: Laurence Harvey, Claire Bloom, Karlheinz Böhm, Walter Slezak, Barbara Eden, Oskar Homolka

IMDB Rank: 6.4/10

Part 1 Time:  70 Minutes (Restored Print: 75 Minutes)

Part 2 Time:  65 Minutes (Restored Print: 65 Minutes)

*** It is highly suggested to watch the restored print of the film, which presents the film in CinemaScope format with enhanced brightness and picture quality.

Where does the first part end? The Duke (Oskar Homolka) meets with Wilhelm (Laurence Harvey) and Jacob Grimm (Karlheinz Böhm). He is upset with the Grimm brothers final draft of his families history. He sends Wilhelm and Jacob to Rhineburg to get more history on Baron Ulrich (The Duke’s nephew).

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “Go! Go! Go!” The Duke shouts as Wilhelm and Jacob run out of the residence.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “What’s going on? It must be a celebration.” Wilhelm speaks to his brother as they arrive in Rhineburg.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, Wilhelm struggles to stay focused on writing The Duke’s family history as he peruses European folklore tales. With only two days left, Wilhelm and Jacob rush to finish the contracted writing assignment on time. Will they meet the deadline?

Which part is better? The film centres around the rise of brothers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, who are both authors and scholars. Both have different literacy interests with Wilhelm having an interest in folklore tales, while Jacob writes primarily for academia. The first half of the film explores the life of Wilhelm and Jacob and includes two tales “The Dancing Princess” and “The Cobbler and the Elves.” Part two includes the very entertaining tale “The Singing Bone” and the brainstorming of classic folklore characters and tales such as ‘Snow White,’ ‘Cinderella‘, ‘Hansel and Gretel,’ and many more. The edge goes to part two as the Grimm Brothers solidify their legacy in Western literature history.

Academy Awards: Best Costume Design-Colour, Best Cinematography-Colour, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Colour (Nominated), Best Music- Scoring of Music Adaptation or Treatment (Nominated)